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Science of Sound: PHYS 0872

This guide is for students in Science of Sound: PHYS 0872

Evaluate Each Source For...

Credibility:

  • Who wrote or what organization is responsible for the piece? Are they qualified to talk about the topic?
  • Is there sufficient evidence to support the conclusions given?

 Accuracy:

  • When was the piece written? If long ago, has there been new research on the topic?
  • Are enough details given?
  • Does the author acknowledge any criticisms of or contradictions to these findings in the field? Does the author respond reasonably to those criticisms and contradictions?

Reasonableness:

  • Is the piece objective or one-sided? (One-sidedness is a sign that it may not be reasonable)
  • Is there a conflict of interest - would the author or funding agency want the study to turn out a certain way?
  • Does the author make bigger claims than the evidence supports?
  • Does the language used reflect opinions or biases, ie "lonely men hunt the innocent creatures..."?

Support:

  • What is the source of the information? Are there links, lists, or detailed mentions of where the information came from?
  • Is there contact information for the author or organization responsible for the information?

 

Additional Resources

Information on this page was synthesised from some of these sources. Check them out for more about evaluation sources: